Wimbledon | A first Grand Slam title for Marketa Vondroušová

Marketa Vondroušová does nothing like everyone else. Among the elements now distinguishing her from her contemporaries, there is a coronation at Wimbledon, the most prestigious tournament in tennis.

It was thanks to a two-handed backhand volley that the great Czech with an extraordinary forehand was able to end a fortnight that she will remember all her life.

Vondroušová is not only the first left-hander to win a major title since 2018, but she is also the most tattooed champion in All England Club history.

“I made my coach promise to get my first tattoo if I won a major tournament. […] I think we’ll go tomorrow, ”she said in the center of the field while her coach seemed to regret somewhat having taken such a bet from his box.

By winning Saturday in two identical sets of 6-4 against Ons Jabeur, the 24-year-old player has achieved the impossible.

Barely recovered from wrist surgery a year ago, the 42^e racket in the world ranking became the first non-seeded player to win the English tournament. And she did it while camping in the underdog role, to boot. Which she did throughout the tournament. Each time, however, she found a way to win. Like a champion, because that’s what she is now.

“I’m not sure how I did it,” she said nervously. No return to play is easy, and you never know what to expect. »

The journey of a fighter

With its unorthodox style, it would have been extremely daring to predict such a conclusion at the start of the third major of the season.

Despite reaching the French Open final in 2019, Vondroušová has been flying under the radar ever since.

Before having the upper hand over Jabeur, she had got rid of four seeds. However, there is nothing extraordinary in the game of the Czech. This is also why the victory of the Tunisian, sixth seed, seemed acquired even before the start of the meeting.

However, tennis is a sport where every game is a new beginning. But Vondroušová was more efficient, more incisive and more opportunistic.

Ten times the players broke their opponent. A huge figure, so that neophytes can understand how much service was not an advantage in this match.

In this context, it is enough to break at the right time. And Vondroušová did it six times on seven occasions. A performance far superior to that of its rival.

In both sets, the eventual champion broke at 4-4 to then serve for the set.

Rather defensive from start to finish, Vondroušová quickly understood how to manhandle her opponent, and like Marilou’s instructions when it comes to preparing a good meal, it seemed so simple for the left-hander.

Roughly, it was necessary to bounce back on the weakened and fearful serve of Jabeur, let her attack and make mistakes herself and hold out as long as possible in the back of the field.

Thus, in 80 short minutes, Vondrousova entered history with the certainty of never leaving it.

another loss

Even if the champion won this meeting with dignity, it would not be completely wrong to speak of the defeat of Jabeur rather than the victory of Vondroušová.

After all, the match was within reach of the Tunisian.

The 28-year-old was coming off a formidable streak during which she knocked down Bianca Andreescu, Petra Kvitová, defending champion Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka.

We had the right to expect a walk on the lawn against a Vondroušová out of nowhere.

However, the conclusion of the tournament was nightmarish. She was struggling to hold back her tears when Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, presented her with her runner-up trophy. She lifted the silver plate at arm’s length, trying to contain her sadness at not being able to lift the other one.

“It’s the most painful defeat of my career,” she said bluntly on center court, between short breaths and tears like a river rolling down her cheeks.

The stars were however aligned for her, before seeing a meteorite named Marketa screw up her plans.

Finalist at Wimbledon and the United States Open last season, Jabeur was counting on this chance to swell the group of great champions. However, at the end of this other fortnight, she remains perhaps the best active player without a major title.

His shortcomings on serve cost him the tournament. It had also been a problem in her other matches, but she had been able to compensate with the other moves in her arsenal. She finished the final with a success rate of less than 50% in first serves and in points won on first and second balls.

Against an ultra-defensive Vondroušová who was just as comfortable on cut balls as on effect balls, she found her match.

Jabeur missed too many important points. Enough to be sorry. The painting had however opened because she stifled the threats. One by one.

The long-awaited coronation will have to wait. With the emergence of the youngest and the progression of talent, Jabeur could however regret in a few years not having been able to get his hands on this famous title on Saturday.

“That’s tennis. I promise to come back one day and win this tournament,” Jabeur promised the London crowd before stepping down to make way for his ladies.

Tournaments are getting harder and harder to win and time flies like a serve from Sabalenka. Only time will tell if this disappointment will turn into an eternal haunting or a catapult to a place in history.